


An Unremarkable Day

by deductress



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Canon Disabled Character, Dog Toothless (How to Train Your Dragon), Fluff, Ice Skating, M/M, Older Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Older Jack Frost (Guardians of Childhood)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-27 10:50:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13246665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deductress/pseuds/deductress
Summary: If you’d asked Hiccup, he would have told you it was just another regular chilly winter’s evening in Berk.





	An Unremarkable Day

If you’d asked Hiccup, he would have told you it was just another regular chilly winter’s evening in Berk. Whereby Hiccup had found himself standing at the edge of an ice rink, eyes wide in rapture at the sight of the alluring agile figure sliding around within the rink. In actual fact, it was the second of January – that awkward ‘day-after’. After a week’s worth of festivities, everything suddenly falls back into place and both life and routine carry on as normal once again.

Hiccup had taken Toothless for his usual evening walk but had decided to deviate on the route when he realised how deserted the streets were. It seemed everyone was still recovering.

His new route had taken them by the outdoor ice rink, originally set up for the festivities. It had not been taken down yet, would instead probably be dismantled the following day but it wasn’t the rink that caught his eye; but the single figure zipping and spinning his way along the slippery surface.

A shock of white hair - more likely platinum blonde for someone so young - pale fine skin and a flattering blue hoodie ( _how does anyone look stylish in a hoodie_?) was all the detail Hiccup could pick up upon as the figure expertly darted around.

He found himself being drawn towards the other man, in awe at the fluid movements he was performing upon the ice, _how does he manage to do that and I can barely stand still on ice?_ Hiccup mused only slightly bitterly, _I mean, he’s actually spinning and flipping **on ice**!_

Several moments passed with Hiccup content to watch the mysterious skater until Toothless loudly and rather excitedly barked in announcement of their presence, surprising the skater enough into spinning around and peering in their direction.

“Sorry, oh god, sorry,” Hiccup squeaked, ashamed at having been caught in his staring, “I didn’t mean to be a creep, I was just walking my dog and- it’s just, well your skating is amazing. Like, professional amazing. Are you?”

Seemingly unbothered with the knowledge that a stranger had been silently watching him during his practice, the man continued with his lazy spins around the rink - tone confident, casual and surprisingly deep, “I’d like to be, I’m competing in the nationals at the moment but… There’s a lot of talented guys out there, younger too. It might already be too late for me.”

“Too late? What are you like, 18?”

Letting out a sudden loud bark of laughter which rasped around the edges, the skater smirked, “Now that’s a compliment! 20, actually. Which may seem young for most professions, but in figure skating that’s almost over the hill.”

_Huh, same age as me – how come I never saw him at school?_ Curiosity biting at him, as it always did, Hiccup asked the question aloud.

“Ah, I moved here not along ago. Just shortly after graduating… Is your dog alright?”

Catching the bemused expression on the other man whom had slowed in his skating, Hiccup turned to the aforementioned bundle of energy and released a fondly exasperated sigh when he saw Toothless eagerly padding his way over the ice rink, legs slipping in opposite directions all at once but relentless determination keeping him upright and moving nonetheless.

“Oh he’s just exploring – Toothless loves the snow and ice, it’s when he’s in his element really.”

The pair watched the fumbling dog for a few moments in silence, soft chuckles emitting from both every time a leg shot out causing Toothless to land in a pile on his stomach only to claw his way back up to three feet and two wheels, tongue lolling out excitedly.

“Ah rude of me, my name’s Jack. Hey, you wanna come join? I can teach you how to do some fun spins if you like? Seems like Toothless is already attempting some of his own,” Jack encouraged, skating closer to the other man to meet him at the wall allowing Hiccup a close-up of his striking ice-blue eyes.

It almost seemed like Jack was born of winter; snow-white hair, eyes the colour of a glacier, porcelain skin and his movement on the ice seemed as natural, if not more so, than those walking on solid ground.

Hiccup had to admit, he was kinda enraptured by the guy – who wouldn’t be?

“Hiccup, is my name, and uh, I wish I could but-”

“I’ve got a pair of spare skates here, if that’s the issue,” Jack offered eagerly, eyes lingering on Hiccup in a rather flattering way, Hiccup’s skin heating under his gaze in response.

“Sadly that’s not the issue,” stepping to the break in the wall - allowing entrance and exit from the rink - Hiccup loosely motioned down towards his running blade.

He’d never been ashamed of his disability, had never once felt it was a disadvantage or a weakness, but in that moment with a gorgeous talented skater running his eyes down his prosthetic, Hiccup felt embarrassment bubble low in his gut and heat his cheeks.

“Well that’s not a problem, I’ve seen plenty of skaters use bladerunners before – it just takes a bit of practice, put on one of the skates and give me your hand,” was the easy reply, a hand held out in invitation to the brunet, Jack’s demeanour still confident and yet calming.

After a hesitating moment, Hiccup swapped his boot for one of the ice skates Jack pointed him towards – swaying with the height difference as he adjusted his blade to match the change. Meeting eyes with Jack, he took his hand finding himself intrigued at the contrast. Their hands were largely the same size, but where Hiccup’s was calloused from manual labour and a career where the use of hands was paramount, Jack’s were instead quite lithe, soft and nimble. Taking a stumbling step closer to the ice, Hiccup’s nerves rose abruptly.

“A-are you sure? I tend to fall over a lot in the ice,” Hiccup gulped uneasily, eyes glancing between his prosthetic and the gleaming lightly-scratched ice before him. He couldn’t prevent his mind flashing back to the many moments when he’d ended up on his back after his false leg had went out from under him with no warning.

“Don’t worry, I’ll steady you.”

And frankly, who could refuse an offer like that? Swallowing his unease (not fear, definitely not fear) Hiccup stepped forward, his prosthetic following a moment after. The second it touched the ice, Hiccup felt himself overbalance – the hand not tightly clutching Jack’s shot out ready to break his fall, but surprisingly there was no impact. One strong arm had wrapped around his waist, steadying him, as Jack had promised.

“Like I said, I’ll keep you steady,” Jack smirked, eyes twinkling in the moonlight, “Now, gently push off with the ice skate and let your blade slide along in time with it. Don’t fight the motion, just flow with it.”

Following instructions, Hiccup gathered his remaining courage reserves (wouldn’t Dad be proud?) and pushed forward – pleasantly surprised to see he was in fact slowly sliding his way around the ice, gently guided by the hand in his own.

“See? It’s not too hard. Anyone can skate, if you’re shown how.”

Feeling a joyous sort of accomplishment wash over him, Hiccup grinned at the other man, squeezing the hand in his briefly in gratitude, “It certainly looks like Toothless is learning a thing or two.”

The dog in question was using his fitted wheels to skid himself around, tongue whipping about with the movements.

“So, I have to ask – Hiccup? Is that a nickname?” Jack queried, evidently content to gently pull Hiccup along with him as they circled the rink and Hiccup was certainly not complaining; glad for the excuse to remain clasping hands.

“Sadly no, it’s my actual name. My family have strong Viking ancestry, everyone having hailed from Norwegian, Icelandic or Scottish lines. I’m actually the first American-born member of the family. That’s why we live so far north, Dad couldn’t handle living anywhere that didn’t have snow six months of the year. How about you, where did you move from?”

“A Viking, huh? That’s pretty impressive. I’m from Alaska originally, my sister passed away a couple of years ago so my parents and I moved away to leave behind the bad memories.”

Hiccup tilted his head to take in Jack’s expression; initially surprised by how close their faces were – Hiccup realised he was taller than Jack, but only by a few inches. Jack was staring up at the full moon, its glowing reflection lighting up his eyes vividly, his lips pursed in a long line.

“I’m sorry. My mother passed away five years ago, so I know what it feels like to lose someone close to you,” Hiccup replied, his tone quiet and soft to match the mood.

Jack’s eyes met his and a sort of understanding passed between the pair in that moment – the only sound the panting breath of Toothless and the scraping of their skates cutting through the ice. The moment passed, (thankfully) as Hiccup turned his head away to hide his reddening cheeks, coughing discreetly.

“So, how long have you been skating professionally for?”

“Technically five years, but I took some time off after my sister’s passing. The nationals started a short while ago, I’m through the qualifying but still need to do my programme and free skate. It’d be nice to get into the world stage, but that’s a big step up. For now, I’m happy to get to do something I love,” a soft smile graced his lips as Jack guided the pair in a slow spin, his free arm wrapping around Hiccup’s waist to pull him in closer as they danced lazily, before releasing him to allow him to attempt his own stuttering spin.

Hiccup’s hand tightened on Jack’s as his prosthetic caught awkwardly on the ice, causing his other foot to lose direction and almost send him crashing to the ground, once again grateful for the pale-man’s strong grip.

“I’m envious. Ice has always been my enemy, along with gravel. Seriously who designed gravel? Let’s make a surface that _moves_ as you walk on it, genius,” Hiccup grumbled, surprised and yet pleased at the laughter his complaint produced in the other man.

“So what is it you do? No, let me guess! You’ve got a quick mind, a way with words… Maybe something in politics? Or teaching?” Jack guessed, eyes lighting up in an almost mischievous manner.

“Jeez no, my Dad used to do politics and I’ve seen the insider stuff and just, no, it’s not for me at all,” Hiccup shuddered at the very idea, _thank god Dad got out of it a couple of years back_ , “I’m a mechanic actually. I’m working my way towards being an engineer, but I’m only the first year in to my studies. Still got a while to go.”

“Wow, mechanic? Huh, I’d never have guessed that. But then maybe I should have from your hands. They’re very strong, and yet quite dexterous, perfect for a mechanic I’d assume,” the tossed out comment caused Hiccup to blush again, cursing himself furiously – he hadn’t been nearly this bad back when he’d first starting crushing on Astrid.

“Y-yeah I guess,” was the stuttered response, as he cast his gaze about desperate to alter the mood that had settled upon the pair. If they carried on this way, Hiccup would surely combust and he was almost certain that wasn’t an attractive quality in a person.

As his eyes shyly darted to the side, they caught on an over-turned Toothless who was scrambling to get back up but was being held down by his wheels which were sticking up in the air, “Oh hey bud, careful, you’ll hurt yourself.”

The pair quickly slid over to the dog, Jack muttering a quick “You alright?” to Hiccup as he cautiously released his hand so he could lift Toothless’ wheels up to place them back in contact with the ice. He returned his grip only a moment later as the duo watched the dog let out a loud dramatic yawn.

“You getting tired bud? Huh, I guess it is getting on... I’d better head back, my Dad will be getting worried.”

With Jack nodding in agreement, the pair moved as one back to the exit of the rink. A comfortable silence filled the air as Jack prompted Hiccup to lean against him as he removed his skate for his boot, and readjusted his prosthetic.

After Jack had returned to his own trainers, the pair stood silently staring at the other. Both reluctant to be the first one to leave.

“So… This was fun,” Jack started, an almost timid grin tugging at his pale lips, “…I’d really like it if we could do this again. If that’s alright with you?”

“The skating? God no,” Hiccup groaned theatrically, smiling lopsidedly as he watched Jack’s expression drop in assumed rejection, “But maybe instead an activity my leg and I would be more comfortable in. Say, dinner?”

In an almost comical manner, Jack’s entire countenance lit up as if he’d just been told he’d won an unexpected prize, “Pizza at Damien’s? Vikings do eat pizza don’t they?”

“Lots of it!” Hiccup confirmed, grinning widely, “How about tomorrow night? …7ish?”

“That sounds good. But if you are late, just realise I’ll go right ahead and order a bunch of pizza all for myself. I’ve been dieting for months, and I’m ready for some carbs.”

 “Ah carbs, the finest of all food stuffs. Don’t worry, I never miss out on an opportunity for pizza.”

Their light banter dropped into silence as their gazes matched once again.

 “Tomorrow then?” the brunet prompted, head dipping shyly as he looked up through his lashes at the other man.

“Tomorrow,” the blonde promised.

So, as it turns out; it wasn’t just another regular chilly winter’s evening in Berk. It was the second of January, an unremarkable day to most, where routine carried on as usual once again. But for one Hiccup Haddock, that day would remain one of the most significant and memorable for the rest of his life.

**Author's Note:**

> So I just scrawled this out today, it more than likely needs some serious work done to it - grammar and punctuation checks, but I'll do that at a later date. I'm not sure if the ending seems a bit rushed also, do tell me if you feel it is. I'll work on it.
> 
> Also, I'd like to apologise for my sincere lack of knowledge on prosthesis. At one point I say Hiccup 'adjusts' his prosthetic - I have no idea if that's something you can do or not, I massively apologise if that's a load of bull I've just conjured up. I find running blades utterly fascinating and beautiful to look at, so in my own little verse for this pairing Hiccup wears his blade every time he's outside.
> 
> My knowledge of figure skating comes purely from my sister's favourite programme - 'Yuri On Ice', she was my reference for info on skating for this fic. I do hope it's correct.


End file.
